Cantlay ties course record in taking early lead
Shoots 10-under 62 for two-shot edge
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Patrick Cantlay looked just as good Thursday at Pebble Beach as the last round he played 18 days ago.
Jordan Spieth looked as good as his last tournament, too.
Coming off a 61 in the California desert followed by at two-week break, Cantlay opened with seven birdies in eight holes and closed with two straight birdies for a 10-under 62. That tied the course record at Pebble Beach last matched 24 years ago by David Duval, and it gave Cantlay a twoshot lead in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
“I feel like I’m in a groove right now,” Cantlay said.
Henrik Norlander and 19-yearold Akshay Bhatia were at 64. Bhatia hit all 18 of the small greens at Pebble Beach, the first player to do that at Pebble since Ryan Palmer in 2008.
Spieth moved another round closer to some kind of a groove. He tied for fourth last week in the Phoenix Open, his best finish since May 2019 at the PGA Championship. Spieth holed out a wedge on the 10th hole for eagle and finished with three birdies over his last five holes for a 65.
It helped being at Pebble Beach, typically the easiest course when the weather is dry and relatively calm. Only one of the leading 10 scores was at Spyglass Hill. That came from Will Gordon, who shot a 66. Spyglass played slightly two shots harder.
“Today you needed to step on the gas pedal and take advantage,” Spieth said. And then he considered that his 65 was only good enough for a tie for fourth with Nate Lashley.
“I got bested by three today,” Spieth said. “I’m going to have to keep my foot on the gas.”
Rain was in the forecast overnight and possibly lingering into Friday before returning early in the weekend.
Without spectators and without amateurs this year, the tournament is using only two courses instead of three. It was more exposed than usual without grandstands behind the sixth green and overlooking the picturesque par-3 seventh.
And the pace of play, with three pros instead of a foursome of pros and amateurs, was quicker.
Low scores at Pebble Beach start with good weather and taking advantage of the front nine, and Cantlay had both of those going for him. He one-putted every green on the front nine, and capped off a stretch of four straight birdies with a 7-iron that landed next to the hole on No. 8 and left him a fast 6-footer for birdie.
The finish also was impressive, with a 7-iron that settled about 7 feet below the hole on the par-3 17th, and a nifty wedge from right of the 18th green for an up-anddown and his 10th birdie.
“I think we got Pebble in pretty much ideal conditions and I don’t think it’s going to be like that the rest of the week,” Cantlay said. “The greens were good this morning and receptive, and so I hit a lot of good shots just right out of the gate and made everything. I didn’t have very many long putts, but the midrange putts that I did have I made all of them.”
Tom Kite also had a 62 at Pebble Beach when he won in 1983. Duval was runner-up when he had a 62 in 1997.
Phil Mickelson, a five-time champion at this event, opened with a 74 at Spyglass.